TOUCHING YOUR CLIENT

Now that we’re a popular stand-alone profession, we need to update how we treat clients during our sessions to keep pace with professional expectations, and to avoid potential involvement with legal complications that may arise from an increasingly litigious society.

Specifically, some of our most effective techniques have arisen from the stage. In fact, it was stage hypnotists who kept hypnotism popular during the 50’s 60’s and 70’s.

We can still practice our proven techniques but with today’s sensitivities, we should consider amending the form of some of our practices.

TOUCHING TO TEST DEPTH

For example, OMNI’s founder Gerry Kein, an undisputed hypnosis master and NGH icon taught his students to put one hand on the back of the neck of a client, which helped to judge when the client had changed state by the rigidity, and lack of, the neck muscles.

We also deepen a positive state by touching the client lightly on the shoulder to anchor it in while giving them direct suggestions to go deeper and become even more relaxed.

Another time tested technique is the arm drop, where we lift the client’s arm from their wrist then drop it into their lap with the suggestion they go deeper.

Also, who hasn’t sought permission before the session to touch the client on the wrist, elbow, shoulder and forehead when in an altered state to promote a particular state or subconscious reaction?

All these touching techniques are very normal and accepted for the Certified Hypnotist, but how “normal” are they going forward for the client in light of what else is  going on in society?

#ME TOO MOVEMENT

Do not underestimate the implications of the #MeToo Movement which came to international awareness upon the release of a taped audio recording of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein’s abuse.

When I heard that recording, played over the news, of him trying to cajole, shame and bully an actress into entering his hotel room, as a man I was ashamed and as a counsellor, I was disgusted.

As a former police officer I am certainly aware of how cavalierly men still treat and think of women, and as a counsellor and minister I am equally aware of how unbalanced the gender playing fields still are on the professional, personal and family fronts.

The #MeToo movement and its principles has gone global in a number of European countries, not just in Canada and the US, enshrining offences into law with the result that both verbal and physical improprieties are chargeable acts.

PROTECTING OURSELVES

Due to their life history, some clients have inadvertent defence mechanisms that “lay” for an opportunity to react; some clients react to deeply entrenched biases that may arise during a session; some clients have been coerced into visiting us; and, some clients just go through life waiting for an opportunity to be offended.

Clients aren’t always forthright during an intake for reasons of their own and if you don’t pick up on unmanageable negatives during the intake, you need to protect yourself.

  One way to protect ourselves is to be able to provide an accurate record of our sessions via film, and to adjust our language and physical contact standards.

To physical contact, in government run counselling facilities, aside from a sideways shoulder hug, hugging is prohibited and professionals can be disciplined. In holistic facilities though, hugging is more of the standard than the exception.

Consider though that only one allegation can seriously damage your reputation. Know that media outlets will rarely withdraw reporting on allegations of improper touch (imagined, misinterpreted or spurious) against a hypnotist with the same vigour and enthusiasm by which they first sensationally reported it.

CLINICAL TOUCH vs. CREEPY TOUCH

I attended an NLP demo recently reviewing how to collapse emotional anchors. It involved touching both shoulders from behind the client, then using a “sweeping away” movement running both hands down either side of the client’s torso.

I asked if there was a different way of touching the client as I couldn’t see myself touching female clients in that manner.

One of the other practitioners jumped in and looking at me impatiently, she said, “Just tell them what you’re going to do, say “ok?” and keep on going.”

That approach is immature, unprofessional and just ASKING for trouble,  and the teaching professional, unfortunately, did not contradict the practitioner.

By comparison, I’ve watched NGH VP Don Mottin demonstrate the same technique several times in Toronto during teaching workshops, and noticed he fully explained to the demo client what he was going to do and where on the shoulders (only) he was going to touch, then made sure he received a clear “OK” from the student.

TELL THE CLIENT WHAT YOU’RE DOING

If you feel you have to tap on someone’s forehead, just like your Instructor did when teaching the technique(s), tell the client why … that you may touch them in order to distract the conscious mind from interfering with the subconscious memory retrieval process.

This isn’t the military and it isn’t a state secret. In fact, it’s generally considered that practitioners who aren’t forthcoming with the reasons for initiating some actions are playing a form of insecure one-upmanship (… you don’t need to know that …) that some physicians used before their profession changed the policy.

WHEN IN DOUBT, ASK

One of the most valuable and useful techniques I learned in counselling was when debriefing the client following the active part of the session, to ask how they instinctively responded inwardly to techniques employed during the session.

Some practitioners will disagree with me, but we’ve found those practitioners who do not and have never audited their clients for spontaneously arising inward reactions, who think they always know what their client is thinking, are the ones who accord their original instructors God-like status and would never therefore change anything from the way they were first taught.

As an intuitive I’m fond of saying to my wife, “I may be able to talk to the dead honey but I can’t read your mind,” so don’t presume to always know what’s going on in your client’s mind after you’ve done Morse code on their forehead.

UPDATE YOURSELF

Be aware that societal perceptions change as a result of awarenesses brought about by events like #MeToo, and the protocols regarding touching  clients change too so don’t assume what you did yesterday to great applause may even be acceptable the next time you do it.

In other words, don’t think you’re so good you don’t have to retrain from time to time - that’s why NGH has the world’s largest annual educational conference.

As an example, I presented a workshop on the organic causes of erectile disfunction and how we can positively influence the condition hypnotherapeutically using ego state therapy (Parts) at the NGH annual conference a couple of years ago.

At the end of the workshop I saw Gerry Kein (1939-2017 - May He Rest In Peace) leave the room from where he’d been sitting behind people at the back of the room, so he wouldn’t distract me, he later said.

I caught up to him in the hallway and asked him, as the acknowledged world expert, what the heck, much of an honour as it was, was he was doing in my humble class?

He replied that he wanted to learn other approaches to working with ED, then shook my hand and with a devilish smile he was known for, said, “I didn’t know some of those things you talked about, so go buy yourself a beer on me, Reverend.”

TAKE THIS HOME …

Let me tell you a home truth folks, you can ask as patiently, kindly and professionally as you want “… and during this session I may touch you on the wrist, elbow, shoulder or forehead. Is that ok with you?” but if the client feels uncomfortable about the touching after the fact, you are usually the LAST one who’s going to hear about it, whether they’re male or female.

They’ll think about it, talk about it to a friend or two and perhaps another professional and make a decision whether to come see you again. And, because memories are dynamic and often become bigger every time they’re taken out and examined, if there’s offence taken, you will be blamed.

Can you imagine the conversation? “ … and then while telling me to go back the very first time I felt rejected, I became so confused because they began tapping me on my forehead for some reason or another. I felt like I was in one of those hypnosis stage shows or something!”

HAND TOUCH

Having said all this, we know some forms of neutral touch can make the hypnosis experience very effective for the client.

Studies focussing on forms of human influence suggest that one of the areas of the body least offensive emotionally to touch during counselling sessions is on the outside of the hand from the knuckle to the wrist.

So, if you believe your technique requires a response prompted by a physical encouragement, consider lightly tapping the back of the hand vs. tapping the forehead or other areas.

The most important consideration is it not only minimizes physical contact with the client, but does it in an area not associated with potentially controversial body areas, and it’s as noticeable to the client’s subconscious as any other touch technique we currently use.

Although accomplished practitioners prefer to use sound (their voice or light finger snapping) instead of client touch, light tapping on the back of the hand can reinforce the accentuated word or phrase once the client knows that’s why you’re touching them.

REMEMBER …

Physical manipulation of the human body is the exclusive domain of chiropractors, physicians, massage therapists and others medically licensed to touch people, NOT hypnotists.

Anything other than hand tap-touching is old training and outdated! If the great Gerry Kein kept his approach current by attending rather than just presenting workshops, then so can you and I.

Remember that Certified Consulting Hypnotists work with their voices, not with their hands.

————————————-

The Reverend Timothy Jones offers counselling services with a primary focus on hypnotherapy from his clinic in Mississauga, Ontario, CA., where he’s a familiar figure across his community presenting
Celebration of Life, Weddings, Christenings and Worship services.

==============

Article Researched/Written by Rev. Timothy Jones, OB,
and Published in NGH’s JOURNAL OF HYPNOTISM
in CSIG’s “DEEPENINGS” column

(Updated 2024)

===========